Page 59 of Act of Passion

Chapter Seventeen

Malik wasunable to believe his ears. Brooke wanted him togo?

He ran his hands through his hair, shaking his head. “I spent five years hunting for you. Five years fearing the worst. Boomer is right, Iwasa tool. I just…dammit, Brooke, you get my head all screwed up. I’ve never loved anyone before and I know I’m not doing a very good job of it, but that doesn’t change the fact that Idolove you. And I may have just met my daughter but nothing could drag me away from hernow.”

Brooke put more distance between them. “Love me? You don’t love me. You barely knowme.”

“Do you understand mating?” he asked, searching for a way to explain that he’d claimed her as his wife. That in the eyes of the supernatural world, she was his forever. That nothing could change that. There was no such thing as divorce for them. He would forever be bound toher.

She eyed him. “Alittle.”

Gram hopped up and over the porch railing, landing next to Brooke. He put his hand on the small of her back and Malik had to control his beast. It wanted to rip the man’s arm off, but he knew that would only push Brooke away from him more. He’d already done enough damage to their relationship as itwas.

Gram kept rubbing her back. “Brooke, he’s trying to find a way to tell you what hedid.”

Malik really wanted to punch theman.

“What did he do?” she asked, looking between themen.

“Five years ago,” said Gram, staring atMalik.

“What? Are you talking about me getting pregnant with him? He doesn’t have to tell me that. I figured it out for myself,” saidBrooke.

Gram sighed and rubbed her back gently. “No. I’m nae talking about that. Malik is trying to find a way to explain to you that five years ago, he claimedyou.”

Brooke snorted as if the idea was the most amusing thing she’d ever heard of. “But you said you can only claim your natural mate. That you can’t just claim anyone. That only true mates can do that. It’s why you asked me to marry you in a church, like normal people, because you said we weren’t truemates.”

“Aye,” said Gram, staying close toher.

In a heartbeat, Brooke was in front of Malik. She hauled off and slapped him across the face. “You bastard! We’re true mates and you threw me out of your room?Tool!”

He caught her wrist and held her close to him. “Brooke, I won’t apologize for claiming you. It’s not something I could have stopped. And even if I could have, Iwouldn’thave stopped it. I will say I’m sorry that I thought I did it because of the suppression drugs I took. And I’m sorry that I thought you were human—that the claim didn’t work because of that. But I’m not sorry I marked you as mine. And I’m not sorry that you’re mywife.”

“Wife? What do you mean by wife? I can’t be your wife,” she saidadamantly.

Gram turned Brooke to face him. “Remember what I asked you when I first metyou?”

She was quiet a second. “You asked me if my husband was still alive and when you got me out of there, could I reach him. But you just assumed I was married because I was far along in the pregnancy. I told you then I didn’t have a husband and that the baby’s fatherdied.”

Malik’s self-loathing only deepened at her words. He should have been there all along. He was foolish to send her away because he thought he’d hurt her. It was impossible for him to hurt his mate. He’d sent her away and directly into the arms of The Corporation. She’d suffered at their hands, all while expecting his daughter. And then she’d spent nearly four years keeping his daughter out of the hands of the enemy. From the second he’d heard he was a father, he’d hated himself. Hated how much he’d failed both Brooke and Bethany. And the entire car ride to the safe house he’d tried to think of a way to tell her everything he felt for her and to apologize, but the words just wouldn’tcome.

Gram touched Brooke’s cheek. “When I realized that you’d had no idea you were more than human before being taken by them, I stopped pushing you. I saw it as a blessing. You’d told me the baby’s father was dead. There was no point in me making the already tragic situation worse by explaining I could smell a claim on you. I thought you’d found your way to having feelings for me because he was dead. That maybe nature saw fit to release you from the hold it has on mates.” Gram sighed. “I do nae know how it’s gone down the way it has, with Malik being alive. And had I known Malik was yer mate, I’d have taken you to him the minute I got you freed from that wretched place. I’d have made sure you and Bethany were safe and withhim.”

Boomer came up the steps to the porch. “Question.”

Maliknodded.

“I know Malik claimed you, Brooke, but did you return the claim?” he asked tentatively. “You’re not a shifter. The way you’d return a claim would be different from how we’d doit.”

She stepped closer to Gram, managing to shatter Malik’s heart more. “I don’t know. I didn’t even realize he’d claimed me. How would I know if I’d returnedit?”

“You’d know,” said Gram and Boomertogether.

“Does that mean I’m not his wife?” sheasked.

Malik didn’t miss the hopeful tone in hervoice.

Boomer shook his head. “No. You’re his wife, but he’s not your husband, if that makes sense. Until you return the claim, he’s bound toyou, but you’re not bound to him. I’m guessing that’s why you were able to have feelings forGram.”

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